BubblesandBugs.com - Travel and Scuba

Lo Siento!

Our sincere apologies for not updating in almost 10 days….we have just been having way too much fun, and also, our camera memory card has issues and the internet cafe USB´s won´t acknowledge the fact that there are any pictures on it.  So for now you get an update, but no pictures.

Since we last left off, we headed out of Tortuguero and on to Puerto Viejo to celebrate Julia´s 30th birthday!  On the way there, we got stuck behind 2 semi´s and tried for almost 30 minutes to pass them.  Finally there was a break in traffic and Jason floored it.  Unfortuntely we didn´t see the cop with the speedometer on the side of the road and we were pulled over.  To make a long story short, Jason didn´t get hauled off to Costa Rican prison, but was issued a $50 ticket and was told he can no longer drive in Costa Rica.  Julia took the wheel and we all made it in one piece. 

We spent a couple days on the beach just relaxing and enjoying our amazing rooms at Banana Azul.  Jason and Willits took some surfing lessons and Julia and Travis headed to the Sloth Sanctuary.  We were so pooped from playing in the waves all day on Julia´s birthday that we ended up just ordering pizza and playing cards until the late hour of about 8 PM when Jules passed out in the hammock and Jason passed out in the room.  Julia and Travis headed to San Jose Monday to catch their flight Tuesday - we were sad to see them go.  I love seeing Julia and it was great meeting Travis.  Julia found us amazing places to stay while they were here, it was nice to have a break from hostels and dormatories!  Thanks Julia!

When we parted ways; Jason, Willits and I crossed the border and headed to Bocas del Toro, Panama.  While we were in Puerto Viejo we ran into some great Aussie friends, Trevor and Kay that we met in Utila, so we ended up spending most of our time in Bocas catching up with them.  We took a $20 tour which included 2 snorkeling spots, watching wild dolphins swim, and some swimming on a beautiful beach called Red Frog beach.  I highly recommend this to anyone in Bocas.  I went to Bocas with my girlfriends 5 years prior and spent our nights at Pargo Rojo, which unfortuntely is closed now (Bernard and his coconut cheesecake have never been forgotten!) so we ended up staying at a new hostel called Gran Kahuna.  It sucked.  It was loud and the fans hardly worked so we ended up sweating all night.  Plus, the last night there I was attacked by something and now have a huge red bite\bump area on my body we have named Africa, due to its shape.  Awesome. 

Willits only has a few days left here, so we decided to head back through San Jose, Costa Rica and spend some time on the Pacific coast in a town called Jaco.  Again, I was here 5 years ago and boy has this place changed.  It reminds me more of Waikiki or some resort beach city more than Costa Rica.  But we found a decent hostel, Cabinas Jaco Mar, with a fridge and tv - so we´ve ended up staying here 4 nights.  The first day here we took a long walk on Playa Hermosa and watched the surfers and realized the waves were too big for the guys to attempt to ride, so we headed back to Jaco and rented some boards and spent the afternoon at the beach.  We went back the next day for more surfing - I tried it and have decided it´s not my thing, so I bought a sarong and laid on the beach watching the guys. 

Today we decided to spend the day deep sea fishing.  It was so much fun!  The day started out full of rain and no bites….but we did spot 3 hump back whales and 2 turtles.  Our trip was from 7:30 until 12:30 and by 10:30 I was pretty freaking bored.  We were 24 miles off the coast and decided to head back.  And then……a bite…..and 2……….Jason immediately jumped up and took one rod while the captain grabbed the other.  Capt´n lost his fish, but Jason continued to reel in.  After about 10 minutes of reeling, and one extremely sore hip, the fish was caught!  We estimated it to be about 25 pounds of yellowfin tuna!  AHHHHH yeah!!!!  We cut some up on deck and partook of it right away.  I didn´t love it as I´m used to my shashimi being really cold…but the capt´n fileted it for us and we´ve found a local restaurant to clean and cook it up for us tonight.  I can´t wait!

Tomorrow we´ll head to Quepos and Manuel Antonio until Willits leaves Tuesday morning and then we´ll decide where to go from there.  We´re in Costa Rica for 2 more weeks and then will head back to the states until Sept. 18th when we fly to Bangalore, India.  

Jason is working on recovering our pictures………..keep your fingers crossed!  All of our pictures from the last of Utila until now are on this memory card and if we can´t get the computer to read them…….it´s a sad sad day at bubblesandbugs.com.

Ciao for now!